The Nightmare's Beginning
by edwardmorte3
Summary: Vincent takes his revenge on the man who ruined his life. But nothing is absolute, and when Chaos takes over, everything falls apart. Now he has a choice. Forgive Hojo and find a way to heal him, or add one more sin to his list. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Cloud leaned to the left and turned the handle of his bike to comply, coming to a stop just before the mansion's gates. The motorcycle vibrated with energy, humming until he cut the engine and took out the key. Walking up to the decrepit building brought back violent memories, and he shuddered in the cold Niblehiem air. He'd grown up in this town. He had dreamed here, loved here, and now he couldn't stand the sight of it. Once meteor had been defeated, once they had pulled the real Sephiroth from the Northern Crater, once Shin-Ra had taken credit for the destruction of Meteor and reclaimed their lost captain, he had simply decided never to return. He stayed in Midgar, which was vastly reforming under the rule of a much kinder President Rufus, who had also forgiven AVALANCHE of their terrorist activities and rewarded them handsomely.

Never once had he considered coming back, not until last night, when his cell phone rang at ungodly hour consistently until he had gotten up to check the number. Vincent Valentine. More shocking than the fact that Vincent actually had a phone was the fact that he was using it, and Cloud answered immediately. The message had been very simple, and very alarming. "Help me... God help me... I couldn't stop him..."

And when the line had gone dead, Cloud had called Cid, who happened to be in Junon. It didn't matter that it was three in the morning, or that they hadn't spoken in seven months. All that mattered was that Vincent was in trouble, and they had to reach him as soon as possible. Tifa was driving the van that would bring her, Reeve, Barret, Cid, and Nanaki to town shortly, and Yuffie would be waiting for them in Midgar. Cloud stared at the very building that had caused this crisis, and he was determined to bring out his friend. No matter how distant the ex-Turk kept himself, he was their friend.

He'd only taken one step inside when his phone rang again, and he swore as Rufus's name was displayed on his screen. He answered it rather than turning the phone off, as was his first thought, simply to tell the President to back off. He didn't have time for a missing person right now, a case Rufus had handed to him yesterday. Especially considering who the missing person was.

"Not now Rufus," he said coldly into the receiver. "I'm busy."

"Mr. Strife, I understand that Professor Hojo has caused you and your friends a great deal of stress, but he is important to Shinra Company and the reformation of Midgar, as well as the transfer from Mako Energy to Electric Energy, as per your request. Out of consideration for you, I didn't give this case to you immediately, but now... Well, he has been missing for a month, Strife. You can understand our concerns."

The President's greatest talent was his voice. Smooth as silk and attractive as power, that deep, soothing voice could manipulate the strongest of men to bend to his will. But not today. Today, someone else needed him, someone who never needed anyone. "I understand. I will find Professor Hojo. But I have something else to attend to right now."

And he hung up. Rufus wouldn't call back just yet. It wasn't the youth's style to appear as though he was begging. He would wait at least a few hours before trying to reach the ex- SOLDIER again, and by that time Cloud would at least have an idea of what he was dealing with.

The mansion looked no more inviting than it had a year ago when he had chased down the pseudo Sephiroth. If anything, it seemed more barren, and there was little to no trace of the fact that Vincent lived here. Why he had chosen to return was beyond the blonde. Something told him he didn't really want to know. The stale air was making his stomach churn, and as he walked up the steps the heavy layer of dust was making him weary. Vincent Valentine was an obsessively clean person, fashion sense aside, and the wear of the house said that something had been wrong longer than just a few hours.

// "God help me... I couldn't stop him..."//

What had happened here? His heart was racing as he ran up the steps and rushed towards the secret door in the old bedroom, coming to a terrified halt when he reached it. The room had been ripped apart, the bedding shredded. A natural disaster would have left less destruction in it's wake, and without thinking about it he knew where he would find his friend. He threw open the secret panel and raced down the twisting spiral, scared of what he would find at the end. This mansion seemed to be the beginning of all nightmares.

Down the dark tunnel, past the twisted bodies of monster long dead and still rotting, Cloud found the man he was looking for. Vincent was sitting against the door of the tomb they had once found him in, his knees curled into his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around his legs. Wide, red eyes were staring blank at the wall ahead of him, and his pale, sullen lips continued to whisper the word "no" over and over. Without hesitation he knelt beside the fallen warrior and placed a hand carefully on his shoulder. Slowly Vincent glanced over to him, and the dark circles under his eyes spoke volumes of the horror to come.

"Cloud..." he gasped, as though he was surprised by the blonde's presence. "Cloud... how did you find me?"

"You called me, remember?" He replied carefully, watching the ivory face for any sign of recognition. "You asked me to come. You said you needed help, that you couldn't stop him... Tell me what happened."

Tears filled those crimson orbs, and he shook his head, dark, mussy hair falling in his face. "I didn't mean to, Cloud... I couldn't stop him... I just wanted to scare him... To warn him, if he should get out of hand... I didn't know..."

"Vincent, calm down. I don't understand. Who couldn't you stop?"

"Chaos..."

The name froze in the air between them, and Cloud sucked in a breath. Chaos, the literal demon that haunted Vincent's mind, put there by a crazed man unable to handle the adultery that had occurred between the ex-Turk and his late wife. It was a reminder of his so-called sin, and completely uncontrollable. Vincent remained as cold and empty as possible, for any time he was emotional the demon would be released, and there was no controlling him. So Chaos had broken loose again. That explained the bedroom. But what else had happened in this stone prison? If only walls and moss could talk.

"Vincent, it will be okay." He had to repeat his name, had to keep his attention and help him hold onto his humanity. "Whatever he did, it isn't your fault. If you're having trouble with Chaos again, then we will find away to help you. Rufus will owe me a favor soon anyway. What did he do, Vincent?"

The older man didn't answer. Instead, one gold covered finger simply pointed at the only other door in the hallway, the one that lead to the laboratory. That lab, that mother of monsters, stared back at him gleefully. How many terrors had it spawned, all under Shinra's watchful eyes. Sephiroth, Jenova, Vincent, Zack and himself... How many lives had it ruined? Now one more secret rested behind those heavy steal doors, and Cloud braced himself for what he would find.

The eerie green light was ever present, leaving gloom in it's wake. It was a sign that nothing pleasant would ever be found here. He glanced about at the two tanks in the corner, still filled with mako and covered in dust, so the words that he and Zack had written to each other were still visible. A moan from the decrepit table on the middle of the floor drew his attention away, and he winced as a figure moved. Something was alive in here, and nothing in the world could make him want to face it. But he had to. He had to see what Chaos had left here to die, who that monster had hurt now. And he had to see if it was possible to save them.

The first thing he noticed was pale skin restrained to the cold metal in painful angles. Thick, black thread was stitched at certain joints, and disturbingly at the chest and groin. Then he realized that the skin had a sickly green tint to it, and was sunken in, clinging desperately to the bone. This figure was starved and dehydrated, and Cloud was shocked that it even lived. It was hard to tell gender, thanks to the frailty of it and the shreds of cloth covering its body, but he thought it was female. Finally he stared at the face, and gasped. Its lips were sewn shut with the same, thick wire, and behind broken glasses a pair of familiar brown eyes stared back at him, drowning him in its sorrow. He gasped and stepped back, gagging on the bile in the back of his throat. It took four full minutes to prevent himself from vomiting, and quickly he reached for his cell phone. He hit the call button and the redial for the last call received. The phone rang five times, and he started to think there would be no answer when a smooth, calm voice filtered through the receiver.

"Mr. Strife, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Rufus asked with obvious amusement in his tone. "I had thought you were very busy. I certainly didn't expect your call back to be so soon."

"Save it, Mr. President," he hacked, still choking on his revelation. "Get your Turks and a team of paramedics to Niblehiem immediately. I just found Professor Hojo."


	2. Chapter 2

In the end, Rufus had no one to blame but himself. Afterall, he was the one who swore by his own iron stomach that he could handle the sight of their long sought professor, no matter how grotesque. Never mind that the very sight had shaken the core of a man who preferred to spend his time sleeping in a coffin and mourning over a corpse. Now, as he stood outside that green lit hell, hankerchief in hand pressed close to his mouth, he cursed his own bravado. Sometimes, very rarely, Rufus overplayed his hand. This was certainly one of those times.

"Don't move the cloth," he heard one of the doctors say. "The fabric has been here long enough that the fibers are infusing with the open wounds. We're going to have to operate to take them off."

His stomach churned. He would not vomit. He would not vomit.

"Be careful with that pus pocket. If it ruptures, he's going to loose more blood than he can handle. Can you see any infection? What color is it?"

"It's a green-yellow. He's really sick."

Oh God. Don't vomit. Don't vomit.

"President Rufus," came Cloud's clear voice. Normally Cloud catching him in a moment of vulnerability meant that the spikey haired bastard would have bragging rights. However, he heard none of the normal arrogance that usually accompanied such an occasion. "Captain Sephiroth is here. What do you want to tell him?"

Sephiroth... God there was a problem he didn't need right now. After a year of therapy, both physical and mental, Sephiroth was able to reclaim his title as a Captain of SOLDIER. He was told the truth, all of it, and as much as he disliked Hojo, he didn't seem all that surprised that the man was his father. Not that he was happy about it. Rufus almost didn't call him in, but as Hojo's only next of kin, if there had been any life or death decisions to be made here, he would be the one to make them. Honestly, Rufus didn't think he was needed at the sight anymore, but he had boarded a helicopter before the doctors had arrived, and he didn't feel like turning around mid flight.

"Tell him he might as well come down and get a look at the peep show while he can," Rufus replied with far more bravado than he felt.

Cloud nodded, and if he had any smartass comments, he wisely kept them to himself. The President of Shinra Inc was just not in the mood. He had known Professor Hojo his entire life, and while they had never bonded beyond employer and employee, Hojo was one of the few men he could count on to be completely loyal to him. He had helped Rufus's plotting to take the presidency from his father (How Hojo seemed to hate the late President Shinra), even if it was his son who had succeeded in taking care of the fat man. Seeing him in the condition he was in now... that disturbed Rufus in ways he hadn't known he could be touched.

"Well, where is the old man?" Sephiroth's damning melodic voice floated on the air. Rufus wouldn't turn to face him. Let Cloud have the pleasure of escourting him into that particular circle of hell. Even with his pride on the line, Rufus wouldn't go back in.

Cloud pointed to the double steel doors that still seemed to haunt the captain's dreams to this very day. Of course he would be down here. Of course this is where they would find him. The messages back an forth on the radio confirmed that someone had taken revenge on the professor, someone unknown, and that indeed even the crazy man would not do this to himself. He should have been just a little nervous about walking through those doors with the stories he'd heard, but quite honestly, Sephiroth felt nothing. So what if his father was hurt. They'd either fix him or he'd die. No big deal. Sephiroth had seen many horrors as a young man in the Wutai/ Midgar war. This was nothing.

Bravely he opened the doors, and the smell wafted to him in a strong burst, cracking the shell of his confidence just a little. He knew the smell of death and infection, the scent of the reaper himself, and here it hung heavy in the air. Acidic poison was so thick about him he could taste it, and memories of his men dying in his arms, of their poor attempts at hospitals on Wutain soil came flooding back to him. For a moment all he could see was blood, and his knees weakened. So many friends, so many lives...

After a moment he pulled himself together. He was not made Captain of SOLDIER by fainting at a bad smell. He saw the doctors bustling about, placing ivs and carefully arranging pathetically thin limbs to ready the professor for travel. He heard a small, dry whimper and his breath caught in his throat. Could that really have been Hojo? With silent resolve to assess his father's condition for himself, he stepped forward.

As it was rare for Rufus to overplay his hand, it was also rare for Sephiroth to experiance regret. But the moment he stepped forward and saw the man he cared so little for, he wished he hadn't. Hojo's sick pale green skin was worse than ever before. It looked like thin leather showcasing each rib, every bone, sunken in deeply where his stomach should have been. A sparse, torn white sheet covered his chest, which seemed oddly swollen, and his groin, sparing him the humility of being found naked. His cheeks were hollow, and black circled his dull brown eyes. And it was indeed those eyes that unnerved Sephiroth the most. Those proud, arrogant eyes that spoke volumes of how little Hojo thought of the people around him were wide, scared, and if he'd had any water in his body would have produced rivers of tears. Those brown orbs met jade and a trace of recognition danced across them. The fragile body began to shake and he tried to speak, only to wince in pain as the thick thread across his lips prevented him from doing so.

Sephiroth stared in shock, and his eyes traced Hojo's elbows and wrists. It looked as though flesh had been ripped away and crudely sewn back together with that same thick thread. The same could be said for his knees and ankles, and the captain shuddered. For better or worse, he had known this man his entire life. He thought he could look at him with no feeling, but his stomach twisted. He swallowed the bile in his throat and backed away as the doctors lifted the professor gently onto a stretcher and started to cart him away. One of the men stayed behind and turned to face him.

"Captain Sephiroth," the man said, "I am Doctor Owari. I want to speak to you about your father's condition."

It sounded odd to him, hearing someone refer to Hojo as his father, even though he knew it was true. After all, that was why he was here. Still, he couldn't say that he liked the sound of it.

The doctor took a deep breath, immediately regretting it as the stench in the air filled his lungs, and he coughed to clear his throat. "This is going to be rather difficult to hear. Perhaps we should step out of this room?"

Sephiroth nodded. He didn't want to be in here anymore than the doctor apparently did. They stepped out of the double doors and the SOLDIER took a deep breath of fresh air... if one could call a stale, dusty cavern full of monster remains fresh; yet it was still a reprieve from the lab. Rufus must have noticed them, for he approached the doctor. "Well, let us have the news. Is Professor Hojo going to live?"

Doctor Owari eyed Rufus nervously as he said, "I don't have the family's permission to reveal his condition to you yet, Mr. President."

Rufus rolled his eyes and turned to Sephiroth. The silver-haired man nodded. "You might as well tell us both at once. It will save me the trouble of having to write a report."

"Very well. Professor Hojo has suffered many grotesque injuries. The skin tissue was torn away from his elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles, all the way down to the muscle. What tool was used is still a mystery to us. The captor then sewed the remaining skin together without disinfecting the wounds. Gangreen has set in to most of them, and it is quite probable that he will lose a limb or more."

The doctor paused, giving them a second for the information to set in. Rufus rubbed his eyes, stress weighing heavy on him as he tried to imagine what the company could do to assist the professor if the limbs were indeed removed. Sephiroth frowned. What would Hojo be like from here on out, and would it fall on him to take care of the man?

"That's not the worst of it." Both men looked up at the doctor at this statement, almost unbelieving that the news got any worse. "His lips were sown shut, probably to keep his screams down to a minimum. The bruising around his neck shows he was choked on more than one occasion, and the scrapes and bruises on his body suggest he was beaten. There are multiple fractures in his legs, jaw, and one on his skull. There were deep, thin cuts all over his body that were stitched closed, as though someone was practicing their surgical skills over and over on him, and we found no evidence that any anestetics were used."

Rufus visibly paled and only through sheer will did he prevent himself from swaying. Sephiroth swallowed hard. He had undergone many different injections and even a couple of surgeries under Hojo's watchfull eye, and he had hated every minute of it. But everything had been clean, sterile, safe... He imagined dirty instruments piercing the professor's flesh as Hojo helplessly watched and his stomach churned.

"There's more."

At that simple declaration Rufus's head spun and he was forced to steady himself against the wall. Bravely, the captain nodded for Doctor Owari to continue. "Whoever this person... this creature was, he wanted Hojo to suffer. He... well, I'm not quite sure how to tell you this..."

"It can't be any worse than what we've already heard... can it?" Sephiroth replied, then a thought occured to him. "How can you tell the perpertrator was male?"

The doctor sighed and then forced himself to continue. "He performed a sex change operation on Professor Hojo, and then he raped him."

The almighty president of Shin-Ra Inc gasped aloud, and then quickly turned and walked away, barely making it behind the stairwell before he emptied his stomach contents onto the floor. Sephiroth gulped. This was unimaginable. "You can correct the surgeries, can't you."

"We can remove whatever he used for breast implants, but the rest, well, I'm afraid there is no operations available to reverse what was done. If you'll excuse me, I need to catch up to the medical team. I will meet back up with you in Midgar, once your father is out of surgery."

And then Doctor Owari walked away, leaving Sephiroth too stunned to reply. He tried to swallow the information. Someone had beaten his father, tortured and mutilated him, and then had ripped away his manhood and raped him. Anger boiled inside him, though why he felt anything at all was beyond him, and he turned and marched towards the only person on Gaia who hated Hojo more than he did, and the man he knew had to have done it.

Cloud was just helping Vincent to stand, after much convincing, when Sephiroth seemingly appeared out of nowhere and slammed the ex-Turk against the wall, hand tight against his throat. "Why did you do it, you bastard? What the hell are you trying to prove? You called him a monster? Look at what you have done! How could you do that to anyone?"

Cloud immediately forced Sephiroth away, standing between the captain and his friend, and Vincent slunk agains the wall, whispering, "I didn't mean to... I never meant to..."

"You didn't mean to?" Sephiroth spat back, lunging forward only to be stopped by the blonde. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You had better come up with a better defense, you monster, because when Rufus finds out about this, he'll have your damn head on a pike!"

With that Sephiroth stepped back, straightened his coat, and stalked away, heading for the President's direction. Cloud put a calming hand on Vincent's shoulder. He would find a way to protect Vincent. He knew it wasn't the man's fault. But looking at Sephiroth's vehemence and imagining what Rufus would say when he found out, he didn't know how he was going to save him.


	3. Chapter 3

Rufus sighed and rubbed his brow, sitting down heavily in his office chair, pretending at safety behind his large cherry oak desk. Across from him sat Cloud and Vincent, and Sephiroth was pacing angrily, glaring at the ex-Turk as he did so. Tseng stood at the back by the door, his back rigid, eyes strait forward watching everyone carefully. His hands appeared lax, but his muscles were tense, and he was ready to grab his gun at a seconds notice. Elena stood parallel to him, copying him to the best of her abilities, not only to do her job but hopefully to impress the man she so utterly desired. Rude stood in one corner, his powerful arms crossed and his dark eyes hidden behind cool shades. Reno leaned against the alternate corner, slouching lazily as though he didn't have a care in the world, but if a situation did arise he could spring into action before most people could blink. The only question on Rufus's mind was if his Turks could handle it if Sephiroth and Cloud really went at it.

"So, all of the injuries Professor Hojo sustained were due to Vincent's demon Chaos. Do you care to explain to me exactly how this isn't Vincent's fault?"

"Of course it's Vincent's fault!" Sephiroth growled. "Look at what he did!"

Cloud stood to face the SOLDIER, a scowl on his face. "Vincent has never been able to master control over his demon, a demon which Hojo put in him, mind you."

"Don't you dare, Strife! I don't care what happened between the two of them in the past. He had no right to do what he did!"

"And since when are you on Hojo's side? You think that disgusting old man had any right to hurt Vincent?"

"Maybe if Valentine would have kept his dick in his pants, it wouldn't have happened."

"Enough!" Rufus stood, and all eyes turned to face him. "Listen, I want to hear what Vincent has to say. Valentine, I want you to tell me what happened, to the best of your recollection. Then we will decide what actions need to be taken."

"He needs to be shot in the head!"

"Sephiroth, enough! Valentine, go ahead."

Vincent inhaled deeply, letting his breath out slowly. "I'll tell you. But, my memory is choppy at best. It started when Hojo went to Rocket Town to inspect Cid's old rocket. I swear, I just wanted to scare him..."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"I still can't fucking believe that my god damn future in this shitty ass company rests on the fucking shoulder of that rat ass old bastard!" Cid swore in his normal fasion. "Go fucking figure. I swear to fucking god if he has one damn problem with my fucking rocket, I'm going to shove the whole fucking thing up his god damn, mother fucking ass!"

"Calm down, Cid," Vincent sighed. "There were more curse words in that last sentence than I could count."

"And how the hell is it that you're Mr. Fucking Calm right now? I though you hated this fucker more than anyone"

"You're absolutely right. I don't particularly like Hojo. But President Rufus says he's an unreplacable aspect in transfering mako energy to electric energy. There's nothing we can do but deal with him as quickly as possible and then get him out of our way."

_That's what I told Cid, but to be honest, I was already planning a retaliation against him. It wasn't supposed to be anything too grand. I wanted to teach him a lesson. I wanted him to know he wasn't untouchable, and I wanted him to know that if he even thought of picking up on his old research, I would be there to stop him. I wanted to scare him. I thought, if he knew just a little fear, then maybe he'd think twice before he hurt someone again. I didn't know..._

Hojo looked over the rocket's engines, especially engine 7, which had failed on the last takeoff. He grinned slyly to himself as he overheard Cid's swearing. He knew the blonde didn't want him there, and he also knew he was simultaneously upsetting his rival as well. All in all, a good day. He had taken his sweet time in reviewing the rocket and was now on the last part of the detail sweep, and he was quite enjoying Vincent and Cid's displeasure at his company. However, all good things must come to an end. And he couldn't honestly find another reason to drag out his verdict. Highwind had taken good care of this wonderful machine, and it had paid off. The rocket would run great, he was sure. Even though he would have loved to have been a larger thorn in the mechanic's side, there was absolutely nothing wrong, and he was going to give it a passing grade, so to say. He couldn't think of another reason to delay it.

As he climbed the polished metal ladder, which had probably only been polished so he couldn't claim that the health inspector needed to be called in, he could hear Cid's colorful language. It made him laugh to himself. Knowing he was the source of the pilot's aggrevation pleased him to no end. It honest to God, or whatever omnipotent being was up there laughing his or her ass off at the entire planet, made his day to be the sorespot someone prayed they could just wash away, but of course never could. He enjoyed causing people strife. After the meteor disaster, after his son was pulled from the rubble and told the truth, and after that same son threatened to shove the Masamune through his stomach and spine if he ever came within fourteen feet (the range of said sword) again, Hojo decided he needed something to pull him through the pathetic waste pile that had become his life. Keep in mind that he wasn't simply wallowing in pity because his son hated him. No, that ship had sailed years ago, and had already been around the world a couple of times. Rather, he found himself wondering what to do with the rest of his life, seeing as his life's work, the Jenova Project and honestly sometimes the only reason he didn't slit his own throat to get it all over with, was no longer necessary. His work had nearly brought about the end of the world, but it had resolved his hypothesis, and now that it was over, he couldn't seem to find his purpose in life. He'd had it all, and in a few precious moments it had all been blown away. Sure, he was still the President of the Scientific Research Department, but he was only kept on because of his genius and that he was one of the few people who understood what was required to transfer the mako energy system to an electric energy system. It was his knowledge that was required. However, his quest for scientific supremecy was officially at an end. Any projects he tried to start was reviewed by the president and his now AVALANCHE filled board so many times, that by the time he was allowed to start anything, it had been picked apart until he was so limited that there was no longer any point to researching whatever he had proposed in the first place. So with nothing to do but what was ordered of him, a very crappy job for a scientist of his caliber, he had decided the only way to make it from day to day was to focus on the little things that made him happy, and one of those things just happened to be pissing people off, especially people he didn't like.

"Well, the Grand Fucker himself. So, what the hell do you think you're gonna fucking throw my way so I can't get this damn rocket off the ground?" Cid drew in a breath of his Marlboro and glared at the older man. Hojo shook his head. How desperate had Rufus been when he made Highwind the new President of the Space Research Program?

"Actually, Mr. Highwind, as much as I tried to find error in your work, I must say I'm impressed." The scientist adjusted his glasses. "The engine repair was especially fine. I hate to admit it, but your work is superb. There's nothing wrong with this rocket. It's fine to launch. I'll send Rufus my clearence."

""Well I'll be a son of a whore, look who's not being a total rat fucking bastard. What do you think, Vincent?"

Hojo frowned as the raven haired emo (wasn't that the term nowadays?) bastard walked around the corner. Good God, didn't Valentine have anything better to do than hang around Cid 24/7? What were they, a couple? Wasn't Cid married to Shera? Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time Vincent had butted in on someone's marriage.

"You're being pleasent," Vincent sighed. "You must have already ruined someone else's life today."

"Dear God," Hojo rolled his eyes, "you know, Valentine, I have to deal with you at the board meetings, seeing as soon as Tseng was injured you wormed your way into the seat of President of the Investigation Sector of General Affairs Department /_**the TURKs/**_ but surprisingly enough I don't have to deal with you here. I know this is your boyfriend's big day, but I don't think he needs you here holding his hand. Now, why don't you do something useful? No, that's not your style is it? Just go sulk in a corner and leave those of us who have a life to get to it. Highwind, I'll fax my report over immediately. Just promise once you actually get into space, you'll bring this vampire with you and leave him there."

"Hey, now look fuckin here-"

"Don't worry about it Cid,"Vincent interupted. "He isn't worth the time it takes to insult him."

Hojo chuckled and walked off, ready to get to his hotel room, in the oh so homey bed and breakfast in Rocket Town. Honestly, couldn't this backwater town at least afford a half decent motel? Weren't they making enough money on this whole project to upgrade just a little? At least he'd be ready to go in a couple of hours. One more night of that kind little old lady babbling about her life and offering "helpful" advice about commitment to a bachelor of his age and he'd take the plunge and shoot himself.

_It wasn't really until I saw him leaving that I had formulated a plan. Niblehiem was so close, and I thought maybe if I locked him up in that mansion for a couple of days, he wouldn't really be missed, and I would have the time to scare him straight. I didn't take into account that Chaos would... that he might... I just didn't know._

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Sephiroth moved too quick. He was in front of Vincent in a second, before Cloud had time to stand in his way, and his fist was wrapped around that blood red cloak so tight his knuckles were turning white. "You didn't know... that's your only excuse?"

"Sephiroth, calm down," Rufus nearly growled as he stood. "We have to hear his side of the story."

"Calm down? Have you lost your mind? I'm supposed to sit here and listen to a play by play of how his demon broke loose and ripped my fa- ripped the professor apart?"

"So that's it," Cloud huffed as he wedged himself between his friend and the Soldier Captain. "All of a sudden you're upset because your relationship with your daddy sucks!"

"Cloud, you sorry son of a bitch!"

"Gentlemen!" Rufus roared coming between them. "That's-"

"God Damnit, get out of my way!"

The Turks moved as though they were one mind. Tseng and Elena were on Sephiroth the moment his hand left Rufus's chest, pulling him back into a sufficent hold. Tseng's strong arm was swift to wrap around his neck, and his gun was shoved under the silver haired warrior's ribs, with enough force that a bruise would be left behind. Elena was suddenly kneeling in front of him, and though her back was to him, she helped hold him fast. Her right leg wrapped around his in a tight grip, and her gun in her left hand pressed against his femeral artery in his left thigh. Reno and Rude, who had been on the other side of the room, moved behind Rufus, their arms locking together to brace for their president's impact, having been pushed away by Sephiroth. They caught him effortlessly and helped him to stand in one motion. Rufus himself was slightly taken aback. He wasn't used to being thrown around, especially not so easily, but he righted himself and straighted his coat. Cloud stood firmly in front of Vincent, who had drawn his gun and had it aimed it straight for Sephiroth's forehead. Once a Turk, always a Turk, and no one, not even the Captain of Soldier, got to push around the President of Shin-Ra Inc.

"At ease," Rufus sighed, and every Turk in the room loosened their grip, stood straight, and put away their guns. Sephiroth sighed and rubbed his neck. Even he could forget just how good the Turks were at their jobs. Afterall, they weren't the president's bodyguards for nothing. "Now listen-"

Rufus, however, was interupted again as the door to his office swung open and Tifa Lockheart, the President of the Midgar Hospital and Health Board, and she bowed respectively. "Sorry to interupt, Mr. President but you told me to report immediately when Professor Hojo awoke. Well, uh, he's awake."

Several pairs of eyes widened at once and then stared at the president, who nodded. "Fine, let's continue this later. For now, we talk to Professor Hojo."

"No." Sephiroth replied.

"Excuse me?"

"For better or worse, and most of it is worse, Professor Hojo is my kinsman, and his visitation is up to me. I'll go check on him, and I'll decide when he's ready to see any of you. But that monster stays away, period."

"Sephiroth," Rufus said, "you don't get to dictate how this investigation works."

"No, I don't, but he's my father, he's in critical condition, and whether you like or not, I have legal control over his affairs and visitors until he's well enough to take care of it himself. And thanks to Vincent, that won't be for a long time. Tifa, bring me to him now."

He moved passed her and stalked out into the hallway. Tifa looked apologetically to Rufus and followed him out. President Shinra sighed and did his best to piece this together. His company would fall apart quickly with this kind of turmoil, but how could he blame Sephiroth for his anger? He needed to act quickly before things got worse, but his mind was spinning. What could he do?


End file.
